Operation: D I S G U I S E
by Haesal
Summary: Word has it that Chad Dickson is back and spying on earth, frozen in age like everyone in the GKND. What's 17 years old Rachel Mckenzie to do when the mission to investigate is on her? More so, to pose as a junior high student?
1. Prolouge

A graceful brow was arched on her obviously weary face. She set her mug of hot cocoa down and donned an expression far more irritated than professional.

"I'm sorry, but could you repeat that again?"

Abby felt as if she was caught between a rock and a hard place. Sure, Rachel had always been a good friend and generally an approachable person but circumstances like these were heavy exceptions.

"I'm telling you the TND needs you back on the field, Rach. I know it's a little sudden but the situation calls for it!"

Rachel Mckenzie couldn't help but heave an exasperated sigh. She slumped back on her chair and fixated her stare on the ceiling of her bedroom, where she couldn't look directly at the brunette.

"Look, I know it's a huge pain in the ass but there's no other operative who can do it. And personally I agree with the leader." Numbuh 5 stated as a matter-of-factly. Rachel's head lolled back slightly with a begrudging face to boot. "Why not let Patton deal with it instead?" She asked despite knowing full well why the one mentioned wasn't qualified for the task. It was now Abby's turn to sigh. She took a half-kneeling position in order to look at her former Supreme Leader face to face. "Hey you know that's impossible right? We've both been there. Once you're up there you're stuck to deal with all the paperwork that you stop having time for on the field missions." The intensity in the blonde's eyes softened as understanding reluctantly settled in.

Abby sported a smile and placed a hand on the shoulder of her long-time friend and comrade. "I know you got it rough for you, being in 12th grade and all. Hell I'm still in 11th yet I'm feeling the pressure. The two females exchanged a hearty laugh. "Plus, Intel gathering is your forte, girl and no one's ever been able to match up to you until now." Numbuh 362's eyes merely flitted to the lower right, where it seemed as if every mistake of the world was embedded on the carpeted floor. Abby then stood upright. "Now then, do you, Numbuh 362 accept the mission?" The teenager at question closed her eyes for a while before regarding her fellow operative a face she usually wore when under duty. "Yes I, Numbuh 362 of the Teens Next Door, do hereby accept. But after all of this is over, I'll be back to clerical work alright?" Abby flashed another grin and raised an approving thumb. "I'll be sure to relay that to Numbuh 60, sir." With that Numbuh 5 climbed the window pane and crouched, prepared to leave from where she had entered.

"Wait!" Abby turned her head and was met with the contemplative face of Rachel. "Why of all people, did it have to be me? I understand the mission involves working undercover but espionage doesn't seem, no, _isn't _a keen task." As much as she wanted to leave that information behind, she knew full well that Numbuh 362 had a sharp mind and wouldn't let anything slip past her. The brunette then grinned sheepishly. "Well the mission does involve infiltrating a junior high division and we don't have technology as advanced as the GKND yet to have convincing disguises." Realization seeped in and Abby swore she saw Rachel almost break her desk. After a few years of going through puberty, Numbuh 362 knew too well that out of all the female members of the TND, she was by far, the least developed physically. "So you'd need someone who looks young enough to pose as a junior high student." Annoyance was clearly dripping from the blonde's words. "Hey now, that's not the only reason of course." A small bead of sweat was clearly rolling on Abby's temple.

Rachel regained her composure and watched as Numbuh 5 smiled softly and looked on to the night sky, where several constellations lay. "No one knows Numbuh 274 better than you do, Rach. And even after everything I can attest you still know how he moves."

Abby's words left her slightly haunted, and Rachel continued to stare for a while at the spot where the brunette had been even after she'd left.

It's been six years since she last saw him or even had a glimpse of his shadow. She whipped around and approached her desk, where a turned over picture frame sat. Hesitantly, she lifted the frame and stared contemplatively at the photo of the former members of Global Command. Though it caused her unwanted nostalgia, Rachel couldn't help but smile. Her team was formidable at the same time, strongly bonded.

But somehow, she didn't know what to feel by the fact that _he_ used to be so close yet will always be far away. Her fingers lightly hovered over Chad's boyish smile on the photo. And what complicated things even more was how he kept her near; opening up about his thoughts and feelings and even gauging her own. And she never hated him for his sacrifices, but greatly felt pain over disregarding his fellow comrades just to satisfy his own tyrannical desires. And worst of all, always leaving without a word as if they were never comrades at the very least.

Now after everything, word is out that he's back.

'As if returning just to stop the intergalactic war wasn't enough.' She bitterly recalled, pertaining to his unexpected return a few years back when the GKND offered the option of the destruction of the earth. Sure she was elated he came back but like before, he disappeared once more without a trace.

Rachel set the picture frame down and propped an arm to cradle her cheek. "Hey is it true, did you really stop aging like all of them?" She asked out loud. From all the information gathered, it was probably the one that bothered her the most. Oh he was back alright; forever frozen in age as all the other official members of the GKND. Rachel had no idea how it happened or what the GKND is plotting again but one thing is for sure, whatever they're planning she was to put a stop to it.

Even if it means breaking a bone or two in Chad Dickson's body.

The blonde then focused her mind and resumed where she had left off finishing tasks as the student council president. The week after in McClintock High would undoubtedly be grueling, and she'd need to get everything done before returning back to espionage duty.

Operation: D. I. S. G. U. I. S. E.

**D**irectly

** I**nfiltrate

** S**afe house

** G**rabbing

** U**nnoticed

** I**nformal

** S**nooper

** E**fficiently


	2. Week 1

McClintok High School was thankfully only two cities away from where Rachel lives. Transportation was barely a problem and she hummed a relaxing tune as she idly leaned on the chair of the bus. She closed her eyes, trying to get as comfortable as possible, when suddenly her phone began beeping in her pant pocket. The blonde answered the call and couldn't help but slip on a smile.

"Come in Numbuh 362, this is Numbuh 5. How are you right now, girl?" Abby had always been a thoughtful comrade. "Approaching McClintok High in about twenty minutes, sir." "Alright then, you already know what to do. Find the spy, observe him and—"

"Who you talkin' to Numbuh 5?" A cheery female voice interrupted from the other line. "Numbuh 3," Abby began in a reprimanding tone. ", it's Numbuh 362 and we got an important—"

"Hey Rachy, how yah been? I haven't seen you in a whi—"

"Ooh, you going to McClintok right?" Another voice interrupted which sounded roughly like Hoagie. "If you see my baby brother, kick him on the guts and—"

"Would you knuckleheads stop interrupting and keep your hinies calm?" Numbuh 5 sounded highly exasperated but Rachel merely giggled. Sure they were a rowdy bunch but overtime, she'd come to warm up to all of them and regard them as close friends. What drew her to them the most was the admirable reality that the four of them are still tight and keeping things together despite Nigel's absence.

Remembering the British boy would do her no good. So she wiped the momentary look of hurt on her face. Then again, she _was _going to track another person who disappeared from the face of the planet years back. Rachel couldn't help but release a breath. "Rach, you ok there?" Numbuh 5 began, concern laced in her voice. "Yeah I am no worries."

"You sure?…I keep calling you and you haven't been responding. Then I hear a sigh." It irked Numbuh 362 how her mind easily wandered off. "Oh sorry about that, just thinking about how things are back at Whitfield. Don't want to come back to find civil unrest you know." Partly, she was lying but Abby hadn't seemed to notice. "Oh don't worry about it girl, Numbuh 86 has got everything under control." True, though Fanny had a terrible temper she was a dependable leader. And tasking her with taking over as temporary council president would be no problem for her. As much as she had trust in the vice president, a teen outside of the Teens Next Door was well, considered to be a possible threat.

"Well anyway, just relax and know everything's taken cared of at Whitfield." Her words seemed to placate the blonde a little. "Yeah I'll remember that."

"That's the way to go, girl! Now I got to go. Teen Ninja cronies are comin', might suspect something." Numbuh 5 bid in a low voice, which sadly went in vain as the voices of Kuki and Hoagie happily blared in and gave their own farewells.

Before finally ending the call, Abby's hushed voice came in once more. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Don't hesitate to contact me on the E. A. R. R. I. N. G. ok? If something nasty happens, we'll come running to you in no time." Numbuh 362 reached for her left ear, where a dark hoop disguised as an earring hung. "Alright, copy that." The line ended, but a smile was endlessly stretched on her features.

Hearing from her comrades had instantly placed her in a positive mood. All in all, the task doesn't seem so bothersome to her now, given that she lifts her mind off of leftover agenda regarding her senior high school life.

The only thing that should concern her now, would be keeping a low profile.

* * *

She was trying her hardest to look as harmless as possible. The homeroom teacher called Mrs. Doerr had an irritably shrill voice while she introduced her to the class. Her eyes wandered about to scan the room and was met with unkind stares.

'Oh well, what do you expect with being a new kid who transferred in middle of the year?' She nonchalantly thought.

However, she maintained her stoic façade and merely kept in mind just who to avoid and who to possibly approach. Fortunately, she fished out a familiar face back in her time of service in the KND. Sonya, formerly Numbuh 83 was situated in the middle of the sea of teenagers looking just as awkward as any freshman usually would.

The teacher finally finished talking gibberish she couldn't care less about and left, much to everyone's relief. As expected, all eyes were on her as she walked through the aisle, aiming to go for the empty seat nearest to Sonya.

"Nice sweater, where'd you get it—in a twenty percent off garage sale?" A red head who looked like an Ariana Petite wannabe ridiculed.

"C'mon, Cassy be nice. Little girl might be color blind too, I mean, who would walk around with such a gaudy looking bag?" Another girl joined in the fun. It was official; she was at the bottom of the food chain.

Rachel's ever delicate fuse was beginning to short circuit. Still, she kept reminding herself to keep her barely existing cool. But when she was finally in front of the seat she wanted, an obese-looking boy leapt to the chair which earned an audible crack. "Oops little missy, too bad this seat is taken." A barrage of insulting laughter was soon followed. For some reason, Numbuh 362 heard a tiny snapping sound echo in her head.

The blonde gave a gentle smile and spoke. "Is that so? Well, have fun splintering your fat ass on that poor chair."

"Ooh, kitty got claws." One who seemed to be a member of the varsity team snickered and commented, much to the anger of the overweight boy.

She'd finally done it. 'So much for keeping a low profile' Rachel ruefully mused.

The room of rowdy teenagers erupted and chanted over and over for a brawl between the new kid and the overweight boy.

From across the commotion, Sonya eyed the new student with worried yet scared eyes. Somehow an urge to come and give help had entered her head, but she dismissed it as simply a sense of pity for someone who experienced bullying just as she did.

'Well shit' Rachel cursed in her mind and racked her head for a diversion.

She then randomly pointed to the windows and cried, "Hey is that Dane Malik near the front gates?" Much to her relief and amusement, everyone had their eyes on the expansive glass. The old trick in the book worked and within seconds, she was making her escape.

* * *

In just as little as a few hours, she was the center of attraction of the entire freshman of junior high. They were lined up, surrounding and encouraging the fiasco with their loud and mocking cheers.

"Numbuh 5, _huff huff_—this is, _pant _Numbuh 362. Where, _pant—_the hell are you?" Rachel was practically screaming over her communicator while desperately trying to outrun a group of teen villains tailing her.

"Oh hi Numbuh 362! Abby's currently trying to sass her way out of Teen Ninjas tryin' to recruit her, so she leant me this pretty device for now."

"What?! Damn it!" As much she liked the Numbuh 3, this was _no _time to be acting merry.

"What's the matter squirt? All bark but no bite?" The obese boy who was apparently known as 'The Jawbreaker' provoked her as his minions threw sour candy bombs over and over to her direction. Her head of blonde locks momentarily whipped as she avoided the bombs. Fury was spread across her features.

"Why? What's up? What's wrong? And why do you sound so ugh, breathy?" Numbuh 362 was trying her best not to kill the girl over the line.

So she struggled to keep her breathing even, at the very least to give coherent information. "Nevermind, listen! Currently chased by Stickybeard Jr., exiting first year wing, junior high—"Rachel failed to dodge a bomb and was sent flying towards the lockers. She tripped and toppled before crashing and hit the metal head first.

"Ugh…" The least she could mutter was a grunt. The impact was terrible and she could taste blood in her mouth. Her emerald eyes tried their best to focus which went in vain, barely even seeing the faces of the soccer team members lifting her by the shoulders and preparing to throw her to the awaiting Jawbreaker.

'_Damn it! If only I could fight with a weapon…' _

But the harsh contact never came and the boys suspending her fell on the floor from what seemed to be a blunt hit. Her body slumped, making the pair of sneakers of her savior the only thing she could see. Despite the aching pain, Rachel forced herself in a sitting position to have a better look at the person.

It was a boy, no older than the age of thirteen. He turned his head slightly to face her and she could've sworn she'd seen him a long time ago.

* * *

_If you guys have noticed, the surname I gave for the homeroom proctor, 'Doerr' is actually an anagram for 'order'._

_Yeah I suck at giving names. (._. )7_


	3. Week 1 - Encounter

_This piece hadn't been updated in almost 2 years. Even then, this fandom holds a special place in my heart and I'd still want to continue this. The plot for this fic had actually already been finished prior to writing it and it's a shame to let this go. _

_Sorry for the lack of replies regarding this, I've been quite busy with university lately and it's been eating up much of my time. Thankfully however, I'm currently on term break so I've got some time to work on stuff at the moment. _

_ A̶l̶s̶o̶,̶ n̶u̶m̶b̶e̶r̶ o̶f̶ s̶u̶p̶p̶o̶r̶t̶e̶r̶s̶ f̶o̶r̶ t̶h̶i̶s̶ s̶h̶i̶p̶ h̶a̶d̶ b̶e̶e̶n̶ d̶w̶i̶n̶d̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ s̶a̶v̶e̶ t̶h̶e̶ b̶o̶a̶t̶ f̶e̶l̶l̶o̶w̶ 2̶7̶4̶/̶3̶6̶2̶ f̶a̶n̶s̶.̶_

* * *

"Pardon me for the late rescue, ma'am." Her savior had spoken in a vain attempt at sounding suave. Even then, she could not seem to regard the effort as annoying. In his hand contained what looked like a 2x4 Technology she'd never seen before, albeit it was evidently more advanced. Though the mask he wore concealed half of his face, she knew she couldn't be wrong regarding his identity. The lopsided grin that accentuated his features was a dead giveaway. Tommy had surely grown up to be as dorky and yet as equally endearing as his brother.

But before she could even utter a word to him, he quickly concealed his weapon and his form swooped down to haul her in his arms. "Sorry if this is a little awkward but we're in a pinch!" With that he scurried off, running for both their lives to anywhere other than where they currently were.

Somehow, Rachel couldn't help but feel a pressing sense of annoyance and unease. Indeed she was grateful for the unexpected rescue. What with being unarmed and the entire student body thrilled with the prospect of her bloody death, help was surely appreciated. Yet as she was being transported akin to a meager bag of potatoes, the blonde spitfire wanted nothing but to hit the brunet. And hit him she did.

With a sudden punch on the gut, Tommy was forced to unfasten his hold and he coughed and wheezed while she gracefully planted her feet on the ground.

"Hey, what the hell was that for! Man, women are really—".

"Save the sexist remark. You're lucky I only punched you instead of kicking you on the gut like what Hoagie originally wanted me to do." She knew for herself it was merely an excuse. Maybe in a way, she was like Harvey when it comes to valuing personal space. Only that she practiced it to a healthy extent.

Tommy then ogled at her with his mouth completely agape. "Hey, how do you know my brother? Or more like, how do you know who_ I _am?"

She then casually whipped out her TND identification card from her pocket and held it up for his viewing. "I'm here under orders."

Brown eyes scanned the contents of the ID before visibly dilating. "No way, you're Rachel T. Mckenzie? That's _the_ former Supreme Leader of the_ entire_ Kids Next Door!

"Yeah, well you must've figured that I'd know that by now. She coolly replied as she retracted her hand and fiddled with the E.A.R.R.I.N.G.

Numbuh 362 wasn't surprised with his lack of awareness. Even after being offered a position in the TND, she'd caught wind that Tommy refused the offer himself and chose to continue his life of being a vigilante. Rumor has it that he's also taken quite a lot after Numbuh 2, being able to design and build 2x4 Technology himself. And his abilities rival that of his own brother.

"But what's your mission though? I know this is the turf of most teen villains but it never had to be dealt with espionage."

Her analytical gaze briefly darted to him before closing. This boy was sharp. Well, she supposed she shouldn't be so surprised by now. This _was _a former KND operative she was talking to.

Rachel released a breath and reopened her eyes, ceasing any attempt at reviving the device on her lobe. The thing was busted to the core from the confectionary explosion and could not offer any use other than producing static-like noises.

"That's classified information."

Tommy merely concluded his prying with a smile. "Well I figured as much. But that's alright! It's not everyday I get to meet a super cool operative." The way his eyes lit up with his words didn't seem to sit well with her. "…So I guess that makes me your temporary sidekick right now eh, partner?".

She merely raised a brow. "I'm sure you've understood by now that this is not an ordinary mission. It's been delegated to me and only me, Tommy."

"Oh c'mon, please let me help. I promise I wont be a bother!"

"No." Her response was plain and dry as she scanned her surroundings to evaluate just where in McClintock they've ended up in. By what it seems, it had been a small garden in the corner of an intersection far off from the junior high school division. Flitting her eyes from side to side, it was evident that not a soul was in sight, enemy or a neutral party.

"But I saved you earlier! Don't you think I could be of any use?" Her attention then reverted back to him. Rachel had always been someone who disliked owing debts to anyone in any form. While Tommy wasn't insinuating that she did have one to him, it was rather clear that it was there. What more with the absence of any 2x4 Technology at her disposal, Rachel understood that she was at a disadvantage.

"Fine. I'll let you help out. Anyway, things would've turned uglier if you didn't rescue my butt back there."

Tommy cheered and performed a somewhat celebratory dance in front of her. Numbuh 362 simply smiled at the display.

"Well now that's settled, do you have any other weapon you got on you?"

The brown haired boy shook his head. "Nah, unfortunately. It's kinda hard to sneak in much 2x4 Tech with all the teen villains snooping around so much. I'm even lucky I got a single one of 'em in campus."

Numbuh 362 then held her chin between her fingers and scanned the area once more for a possible alternative. A few meters away, was a mop leaning on a structure which supported climbing plants. A smirk curved her lips and she regarded him once more. "That's alright, I've got something else up my sleeve. Now, I need to somehow get to the high school department to get in touch with Sector V. Do you know what's the fastest way to get there?"

"No problemo! I've got most areas in the school mapped out in my head. The building to the left from this intersection is the cafeteria. If we could get through that, we'd have access to 11th grade territory since the annexed building houses their division."

Given such, the 2 ventured off across.

* * *

The flight of stairs the emergency exit route had to offer was steep but necessary. Rachel knew they couldn't be too relaxed even if the high school division was in no such way, involved with her predicament. News spreads fast and with nothing much to do, the older teens wouldn't mind indulging in making a single 'junior high' student's life miserable.

Finally, they've reached the 7th floor where the emergency exit of the cafeteria was fixed. With a quiet count to 3 on Rachel's command, Tommy turned the knob. Rachel peered her head of blonde locks in the slightest for precaution. What greeted her was a darkened hallway where faint sounds of chatter and the clanking of cutleries could be perceived.

"The coast is clear. Let's move forward." Her hushed voice coaxed him and Tommy entered before her.

She knew she should've seen this coming. The first few steps signaled no form of danger, but when the boy in front of her collided with a transparent thread, a cargo net made from a candy-like substance fell from above and Tommy was immobilized and trapped in an instant.

Following the descent, 3 of the Jawbreaker's minions dropped from the ceiling with a thundering impact, ultimately outnumbering her.

"Run away! There's too many of them to fight!" The brunet strained his voice in a futile attempt of help as he laid prone on the ground.

And she'd have none of it. Numbuh 362 wasn't hailed the best spy and Supreme Leader _twice _for nothing. But with her predicament at the moment, she knew she had to be wise with her decisions. Gesturing to her back, she unveiled the makeshift weapon from the body of the mop she'd found in the garden. With a swift bend of her body, she spun the stick on the ground and had effectively swept the 3 off their feet.

She fleetingly turned her head to him as she sprinted away. "Tommy, hang on! I promise I'll come back with help." The boy was reduced to flashing a weakened smile as he watched her small back disappearing into the distance with The Jawbreaker's minions close to recovery and about to tail after her.

_'Keep safe, sir!'_

In a heartbeat, she'd found herself inside the cafeteria where her presence was greeted with curious and near hostile looks. But none of that was any of her concern at the moment. She needed to reach Sector V fast and rescue Tommy. For a while, she halted her movements in an effort to locate the passage leading to the high school department. Amongst the rowdy crowd, she'd quickly pinpointed what she was looking for on the other end of the vicinity, where a lone door divided the short hallway leading to the annexed building. Yet from behind her, she could already hear the heavy footsteps of the teen villains closing in on her location.

Even then, Rachel convinced herself to remain calm and schooled her slightly frantic features. With that she dashed ahead, carefully avoiding every startled and agitated teen that either carried a tray of food or was simply in the way.

A low whistle resounded from one of the onlookers. "Yo, isn't that the new kid from junior high?"

"Beats me but from the looks of it, I'm guessing yes." A redhead from the adjacent table retorted.

"Well then, this ought to be interesting. Shorty looks like she can entertain."

It wasn't long now until she reached her goal. Following a quick slide from underneath a table, the door itself was within reach. She clenched her teeth from sheer adrenaline, ever determined to outrun her pursuers.

But circumstances just couldn't seem to fall in her favor. The first thing her eyes laid on after picking herself up from the floor was the acne-ridden mug of one of The Jawbreaker's henchmen.

"Nowhere to run now, little miss smart mouth."

Rachel couldn't help but lightly bite the side of her cheek. In just a few seconds they've completely surrounded her, blocking all areas of possible escape.

And they knew she was more than aware of her situation. She was successfully cornered, and the group indulged in a terribly executed villainous laugh.

A calloused sigh escaped her lips. Keeping a low profile whilst completing her mission was the utmost priority. But if need be, then Numbuh 362 wasn't someone to back down from a fight. And she'd realized, she was undoubtedly through with running away the entire time she'd spent in McClintock.

Skillful fingers spun the stick in her possession and she lowered herself in a fighting stance.

"You wanna play rough? Let's play!" A scowl crumpled up her features as a bellow reverberated from her throat.

"Think you can take us? Bring it on!" The skinniest one of the group threw a bomb in her direction. With a twirl of the stick, she'd changed the direction of the bomb where it detonated and landed on the minion that snuck up from behind her. Before the one who threw the explosive could even so much as lay a finger on her, she'd lunged forward and speared his solar plexus with precision.

In the background, the audience simply encouraged the second half of the show for that day. Though, none had reached her ears in the midst of the fight.

The only remaining enemy standing halted his steps and shook in fear when she'd unhesitatingly directed the stick to his direction.

"Ok, ok I give up! Just please, spare me." His pleading however, had done nothing but further her agitation.

Rachel snarled as an immediate reaction. She elevated the stick and mercilessly struck the wall that was positioned merely a few millimeters away from his head. "I'll let your hiney go if you tell me where the hell your leader is to get this joke over with!"

"I don't think the threat is necessary, twerp." The ruefully familiar timbre of the voice echoed in her ears and for a moment, Rachel wished she hadn't needed to deal with the poor excuse of a villain. She leisurely took her time in revolving her form to be sadly met with the overweight teen, grinning smugly at her. The cowardly yelp and hurried scampering at her back immediately told her his henchman was nothing but gone and certainly, it was down to no one but the 2 of them.

"Any last words before I blow you to smithereens?"

"Yeah I've got some." The confidence in her tone caused The Jawbreaker to be mildly dumbfounded.

"Like hell I'd lose to anybody!" Raw strength fueled the intensity of the blow she'd swung on her opponent. Surprisingly however, he'd managed to catch her weapon in between both palms. And she'd gritted her teeth out of sheer annoyance.

"Nice try, but not enough!" She'd twisted the stick out of the boy's grip and quickly somersaulted away when he'd began throwing bombs once more. Rachel landed on a nearby table where members of the cheer squad subsequently shrieked and vacated, afraid to get candy stuck in their hair. But the barrage of attacks ceased to stop and all that she could do was defend herself with endless rotations of the stick to deflect any bombs that came her way.

_'Not good! But I have to break through this somehow'. _It was a dire situation but her thoughts were more than enough proof of her determination.

In an instant, her defenses were subdued right before her very eyes. Her gaze visibly dilated, watching the stick forced out of her grip and shooting away right above her shoulder. Clinging on its body, was a projectile designed to capture objects. And it was nowhere in any way, composed of confectionary. Numbuh 362 immediately fixed her attention back on the opponent's side and did not miss the 3rd party perched a few steps away from The Jawbreaker. The assailant was still poised in an offensive stance with the mouth of the cannon he was wielding still directed to her. As the unknown addition to the fight withdrew his weapon and repositioned himself, only the dark glint of the armor on his chest suggested any sort of significance to her.

It was indeed, a Teen Ninja just entertaining himself with her misery. The next thing she knew, a loud explosion nearly split her ears and her body was sent flying towards the water dispenser. Even with the violent impact, Rachel forced herself to quickly recover from the floor, ignoring the chilly sensation of the water emanating on her skin. But the unexpected stillness of her right leg caused her breath to hitch. She was lucky only the explosion afflicted her the 1st time she'd been hit. Now, a large portion of the gum contained within the bomb was glued around her leg, preventing her from even standing upright.

The last time she'd ever felt a sense of fear was back when she fought senior citi-zombies in her time of service in the KND. Never in her years would she think the same emotion would return haunting her again in the future.

And Rachel figured that her mask of bravery was slowly beginning to crack, judging from the triumphant smile of The Jawbreaker from the distance and the approving cheers of the teens with the outcome of events.

As if that wasn't enough. The teen villain soon began pacing closer to her direction and by now, she was certain she was fighting off the urge to quiver.

Her eyes shut abruptly and tightly.

_'Why does it have to be like this? You're a lot better than what you're showing. Pull yourself together!' _Her mind incessantly cried for her to keep on fighting.

"Just what...would Numbuh 274 think if he sees you right now?" Perhaps the thought had come a bit too naturally than she'd expected, enough for her to say it out loud.

_'You're strong, Rachel. Turn any situation in your favor, hopeless or not.'_

In that moment, Chad's words that was once affectionately directed towards her resounded so clearly in her head. Her eyes then shot open, now finding The Jawbreaker standing directly in front of her.

"Play time's over now, girly." The boulder of a boy began cracking is knuckles as he towered over Rachel's smaller stature.

"You're right. This is the end of it." Her passive response only further amused The Jawbreaker, but the smirk that consequently etched on her face dampened his mood.

The tide in her hazel eyes drew havoc all around and a storm began to brew. With one fluid move, she'd escaped the gum pinning down her right leg. "Don't you know?" In a blink of an eye, she was again standing on both feet. "Ice cold water counteracts the effects of gum!" Her form revolved dangerously, sending a reverse kick directly to his jaw. All that was heard afterwards was the audible fall of The Jawbreaker on the floor who slipped in a nearly unconscious state. An indefinite silence filled the entire cafeteria.

Upon lowering her stance, it was only then that Numbuh 362 understood the degree of disbelief in the stares of the students around. For a while, she stood awkwardly as the center of attraction of the entire high school body. Maybe, that last move _was _a bit too much.

"What's going on here?" A voice she swore she'd heard before shattered the quietness. Her lips tightened in a straight line as her emerald brown eyes widened upon realization. '_No way...' _The rough, boyish quality of the tone had come from behind, and she was certain he wasn't too far away. The rapid thumping of her chest was heavy yet something she seemingly appreciated. And as she finally turned to confirm her suspicion, her mind had instantly went into a state of stupor.

A blonde boy with a stature quite tall for his age stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Deep, indigo blue eyes stared at nothing but her image before him. His face was contorted in an irritated yet curious expression—one that she'd seen all too many times before when she was still at the age of 12. On his left and right, were members of the football team all sporting similar sour expressions.

"...Chad?" For a moment, a stroke of incredulity flashed through his face yet it left just as sudden as it arrived.

Before he could even mutter a response however, Rachel's attention diverted to the right, having to have caught a glimpse of Sector V within the sea of spectators. All members were desperately attempting to convey to her a message, swinging their hands over and over downwards and mouthing words she'd strained to decipher.

"F-Fall...? Oh!" With that, her acting skills were put to the test and she'd staged a faint on the ground.

"Oh, would you look at that. 2 people fainted. We must hurry now and fetch some stretchers." Numbuh 2 purposefully stated out loud in a terribly robotic tone as a nervous smile cracked on his face. Beside him, was Numbuh 4, looking the most clueless he'd ever been. Hoagie then impatiently elbowed him on the side. "Ouch! What was that—oh right yes, we should as part of the Medical Youth Organization!" After a nervous laughter, the 2 boys dashed off to find what they needed.

Abby herself couldn't help but release a series of uneasy chuckles. "Alright, nothin' to see here people. We'll take care of it."

Kuki skipped forward ahead to assess the situation, and the heavy atmosphere had finally dispersed with mixed reactions from the audience.

"Hey, what happened here when we were gone?" One of the members of the football team loudly asked the audience.

"Dude, you do not know what you were missing. That chick just totally whipped The Jawbreaker's tushy with a single kick!" A teen ecstatically responded before chugging on a can of soda.

"Woah, rad. Totally better than TP-ing the Toilenator last week." Another one from the football team commented to which all agreed upon.

All the while, the striking blonde boy merely kept his silence as he stared intently at Numbuh 362 who was currently in Numbuh 3's arms.

The crowd that gathered dispersed little by little, but he kept his gaze on her.

"Hey Chael, you coming?" His teammate called as they walked off back to the field. Blue eyes then shifted from the girl to the person that addressed him.

"Yeah I will. Something just...caught my attention."


	4. Week 1 - Predator and Prey

Espionage involved utmost secrecy to the point where the agent carrying out the deed must unnoticeably fade and remain invisible in the background. It wasn't _just_ discreet like what the duties of a regular TND operative must uphold. It was quiet—subdued and must _never _be the center of attraction.

So when she'd entered the gates of McClintock High the succeeding day, with all eyes following her wherever she went, Rachel couldn't help but be downright uncomfortable. Perhaps what struck her nerves wasn't the fact that the looks that went her way were the same, ridiculing ones she'd received just the day before. It was the reality that they were most if not all, shining with interest and wonder. It was almost as if they'd discovered a brand new soda dispenser that _never _ran out of content.

Her face, pale from lack of sleep, only sunk in further into her oversized jacket. An evident glower then took over her features.

_'Have they found out who I really am?' _The idea of completely blowing her cover angered and distressed her at the same time, finding herself cautious upon approaching the doors to the school.

Then again, It didn't matter what they had in store for her. She'd be absolutely prepared for it this time. What greeted her however, was far from what she expected. Everywhere; heaps and heaps of the school paper were scattered all over. Every teen present within the vicinity were engrossed in reading the contents of the paper, and she'd been curious herself just what was so interesting on the article. But when a stray issue fell right at her feet, Numbuh 362 couldn't help but pale even further. There right on the front page, was a photo of herself in the middle of sending The Jawbreaker to Sleepyville. And her thoughts regarding such were only confirmed by the school's paper boy.

"Extra, extra: Wonder Girl Transfer Student Defeats The Jawbreaker!" A teen sporting a fisherman's cap cried with nothing but elation as he threw copies of the paper _everywhere _for all to see.

"_Wonder Girl?" _Numbuh 362 grimaced even further at hearing her own new nickname roll out from her tongue. The next sequence of events had her thinking that she'd probably already overstayed her welcome. As the last syllable left her lips, the entire corridor fell into a state of silence and once more, all eyes were fixed on her.

"There she is in the flesh!" Someone she swore she'd hunt down by the end of that day hollered over a megaphone and in an instant, people equipped with microphones and notepads had her completely surrounded.

"Ms. Rachel, is it? How and when did you know of The Jawbreaker's weakness?" A boy in a suit held a voice recorder to her face, to which she'd awkwardly gaped at.

"Wonder girl! Where'd you learn those cool moves?"

"Do you have any plans on carrying on with The Jawbreaker's villainous deeds? '_Lady Whirlwind' _perhaps?" By now, Numbuh 362 was in a state of pure disbelief and shock as she held up both palms in an effort to appease her accumulated horde of paparazzi.

"Woah there, easy on the assumptions! Uhm yeah, I'd love to stay and chat but I've got a class to head over to." In a blink of an eye, she was off sprinting once more in the halls of McClintock High.

Her popularity seemed to have skyrocketed overnight without her knowledge. Abby _did _mention to her that her situation with the school's student body could possibly take a positive turn. In that moment however, Rachel couldn't see what exactly was so pleasant with her predicament.

That's it, it was official. She was certain by now she wouldn't get out of this mission _alive. _The following flight of stairs from the corner she'd just rounded would thankfully take her to her homeroom class. Funny how she'd just cursed that room the previous day and now, treated it as if it was some sort of haven all of a sudden.

The room was in clear sights and Rachel darted for the door without hesitation. What followed right after was the booming sound of the said door shutting from behind her, causing a gigantic stampede and a chorus of yelps to erupt from the army of press that tailed her. Finally, she'd actually had time to simply _breathe _and re-evaluate just what her current stand in McClintock was. But the realization of her whereabouts caused Rachel a momentary episode of anxiousness and she hastily scanned her surroundings to find out if anything or anyone seemed odd in the room.

To her relief, the interior of the class looked identical as the one she'd been oriented with the previous day. The only difference she could point out would probably be the hint of curiosity on its student's faces, some in a cordial while others in a distrustful manner. It did mildly put her at ease, as she'd been able to walk through the aisle undisturbed and finally, claim the seat right next to Sonya. The gentle natured blonde had eyes of pure amazement directed to her and somehow, Rachel was more flustered than unnerved as what she'd expected herself to be.

She then smiled kindly to Sonya. Maybe today, she'd finally have the opportunity to potentially get close to the former operative. Though before a single word could come out from her mouth, a new swarm of people had bunched up all around her once more but in the form of her classmates.

"Hey you know, you were really awesome back there. That was the 1st time anyone's ever stood up to The Jawbreaker let alone defeated him." A sandy haired boy with bright eyes spoke to her sincerely.

She supposed it could've been the fact that the boy's words hinted a sense of justice being served for each and every teen The Jawbreaker had bullied in his stay in McClintock. Given such, she'd finally allowed herself to relax and a smile graced her own lips. "Well, there's a first to everything. Now that's happened, maybe more kids will stand up to bullying be it being done to them or to someone else."

"Quite the epitome of justice now aren't you, Wonder Girl." One of the members of the cheer squad smirked amusedly while idly leaning on her desk. "But hey I got to hand it to you, those moves were killer and the cheer team wouldn't mind making use of that acrobatic skill."

She'd almost grimaced at the idea of herself dancing and swinging around with _pom-poms_. "That sounds like a nice offer but it just isn't my style."

The girl simply shrugged her shoulders in return with the corner of her lips still curved upwards. "Figures."

Without warning, all activity in the room seemed to have come to a stop and the attention shifted to a certain point which was blocked from her view by the students at her seat. Slowly, The group that gathered around her unveiled for her to discover The Jawbreaker pacing towards her. She figured he must have been after revenge; quite the fitting outcome since she did antagonize him herself upon first meeting. But it hadn't even taken much for her to notice the evident difference of aura and attitude of the boy from the one she encountered yesterday, with his sophisticatedly upturned brows and the subtle closing of his eyes. And when he stopped his tracks about a foot away from her desk and knelt with a hand brought to his chest, she thought she finally needed to purchase eyeglasses.

"Good morning, my Queen."

Her right hand itched for her communicator, not quite certain herself how long she could possibly hold out from the turn out of events. His eccentric actions garnered mixed reactions from the class—some guffawing while others whispered to themselves.

"Don't you think you're rushing things a bit too much?" From one of the corners of the room, a boy keeping his silence stood from his seat and paced towards the middle of the aisle. His shock of blonde hair was tucked neatly underneath the fedora hat resting on his head and a part of him somewhat reminded her a lot of Hoagie. And at first glance, Numbuh 362 understood right away that this guy wasn't just some know-it-all wannabe, and whatever he had to say could come in handy in her stay in the school.

"I think the lady is baffled enough of what's going on. Allow me, Joe Balooka, to explain to you how things work here in McClintock." He'd showcased her a confident smile of his own before carrying on.

"To avoid any further confusion, I'd like to elaborate on the kind of system that we have here in the school. Like any other institutions, apart from The Chief Executive and The Dean, we have the Student Council to man its operations. As such, you'd have the Level Representatives, Public Relations Officer, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President, and as you could already guess, The President. But there's a twist on how we operate. You see, since our founding fathers, monarchy had already been intertwined with the hierarchy of power. The Level Representatives stand for the Viscounts, The Public Relations Officer for the Earl, The Secretary for the Marquis, The Treasurer for the Duke, The Vice-President for the Queen, and The President for The King. "

Joe elevated his head to gaze into the morning sun, eyes quite passionate as he spoke. "Indeed our very 1st King, King Tidal was the most admirable of them all, unrivaled in capturing the student body's hearts and leadership skills up to this day."

All of a sudden, she'd felt as if she was thrown into another dimension. While Whitfield operated on a hierarchy system as well, McClintock was _entirely _different.

The solemn look then dissolved on his face and was replaced with a smirk as he retracted his eyes from the view outside. "There are 2 ways on how 1 can progress into The Council, 1 is through political means and that's through the elections held annually. And 2, " That was when his stare focused on Rachel to which she'd unfalteringly braced herself for, anticipating his next words. ", is through a battle of brawn. To keep it simple, eliminate the one in position and _take over._"

The nature of what Joe had just said needed some time to finally sink into her understanding. All the while, she'd gaped like a fish out of water in unconcealed disbelief at the implication of what she'd just propelled herself into. "Are you telling me... that this guy is actually The Vice-President?" She'd pointed a finger to the still kneeling Jawbreaker so incredulously she looked scandalized.

Joe permitted an unrestrained laughter to escape him before regarding her once more. "No, not in a million years at least. Even then, believe it or not he _is _a member of The Council as one of its Viscounts." And as to why he referred to you as 'Queen'? Well, it's quite simple." His palm gestured towards her in such a way as if he was honoring her presence. "He sees the potential in you to become Queen, something which I think a lot of us here could agree on."

When was the last time she'd heard something like this in the past? It didn't take a lot of time for Rachel to search her mind for the answer with her senses still heedful judging from the cold sweat rolling down her neck and the stiffening of her body. It was undoubtedly, quite a parallel to when she'd been weighed for consideration as Supreme Leader starting with suddenly being shoved to a position in Global Command.

"That is precisely correct, My Lord. And I swear my loyalty to you as early as of today." The Jawbreaker supported Joe's claims at her feet and she had to admit she was more than uncomfortable by then.

"Queen? The cheer squad member from earlier eyed her with a knowing look. "This girl is more of a King to me; indomitable like a roaring lion wouldn't you say?"

Before more words could've been further spoken by anyone, The door had opened with great force as Mrs. Doerr emerged in an irritable fashion and everyone almost instantly flew back into their seats. "Students, school papers—mess everywhere! What does a teacher have to do to keep things in proper _order._" Her narrowed eyes then pierced directly to Numbuh 362, who at that moment honestly wanted no more of the spotlight for that day. "And you, little missy. Just recently transferred and already creating chaos! I'll see to it that one of The Level Representatives would keep an eye on you or it's detention everyday for the rest of your life here in McClintock!"

"Uhm...ma'am if I may? She already defeated Godfrey yesterday. That means that she's now one of the current Level Representatives." She hadn't known which one was better. The fact that she'd finally heard soft spoken Sonya speak and even to her defense, or that The Jawbreaker's actual name sounded so respectable it was laughable. Nevertheless, Sonya's shy smile and kind eyes acknowledging her immediately brightened her mood and she grinned at her as a sign of gratitude.

"Well then if that's the case, then perhaps I could make someone of a higher position look after you instead." Again, the door to the room was opened and her emerald brown eyes augmented and locked in on the person that had entered.

His appearance was visibly more formal and neat than the one she'd seen the day before, complete with a navy blue button down shirt rolled to his elbows and slacks. The colors in his deep indigo eyes seemed more vibrant with his blonde hair tamed and slicked back.

"Greetings, my fellow students. I see that all of you are doing well this morning." A charismatic, boyish smile adorned his features and the female population in the room subsequently swooned. Rachel on the other hand, surmised that she must've grown immune to his ways after having to have worked with him for quite a while during her time in Moonbase. But even then, how he could simply beguile the student body in a considerably short period of time both amazed and disconcerted her.

"As you all know, The Council elections are fast approaching. Given that, I'd be nothing but pleased if you'd all support me, Chael Dickson, your current Treasurer, as I run for the position of President."

_'President? Current Treasurer?' _She could forgive the badly thought out alias he'd used but she hadn't realized just how steep his ambitions had been and how much of that he's accomplished since infiltrating McClintock. While the confusion regarding why he was hanging out with high schoolers was cleared to her from the incident yesterday, this was a completely different issue. According to Abby, the football team had recently taken an interest in him due to his 'skill', something which the former wasn't so sure of herself. Then maybe, this was what they meant by 'skill'. Somehow, that still wasn't a sufficient reason for her but she supposed she'll figure that out another time.

"Splendid! Absolutely marvelous from such a model student such as yourself." Mrs. Doerr ecstatically clapped her hands, outwardly pleased with the blonde teen.

Chael merely smiled as a response and slightly bowed his head. "Thank you, ma'am. It is my absolute pleasure to be part of the election for the betterment of the school. "Now, " His eyes then roved over his small audience. ", if anyone of you lovely ladies would like to be my running mate as the Queen then I'd be glad to entertain you at The Council Office every lunch hour starting today." When his scanning came to a halt, Rachel had found herself staring right into his captivating blue eyes. And it was as clear as day that upon finding her face, something she couldn't decipher then gleamed in his eyes as his smile curved further in the process.

Wariness had instinctively coiled around her gut and she'd felt like she'd been pulled into deadly waters. Numbuh 362 had seen that look one too many times and it was the same face he'd don when feigning friendliness to gain the upper hand during their sparring sessions way back in the KND. Without her consent, her heart began to beat a little faster.

Perhaps it was because it had been quite a while since she'd seen him direct that look to her. But the part of her that she'd dutifully kept muted to retain professionalism screamed that it was mostly because she was the _only _recipient of his dangerous affection. Quickly, she avoided his eyes.

"Hey, The Duke seems to have taken a liking to you." Sonya's light teasing beside her hadn't helped her situation and her pulse rate seemed more evident to herself.

"No, I don't think so. He's probably just amused seeing the girl who wrecked havoc the previous day." In all honesty, Rachel pondered in her head whether he was showing legitimate interest at that moment or simply had an interest to throw her on the training mat like the old days.

And she'd actually dared to revert her gaze back to him to find that he still hasn't stopped his staring. Looking at him now, she only realized then how he'd always appeared quite mature for his age and could even be mistaken as a 16 years old teen at 13.

Chael then withdrew his eyes from her and ended his campaign. "That's all I'd have to offer today. Thank you for hearing me out. I'll be on my way now." A blaring round of applause was given to him and he turned on his heel to leave.

"Hold on Mr. Treasurer, I forgot to ask you of a small favor while you're here." The homeroom teacher called and he stopped his tracks to face her. "What is it Mrs. Doerr?"

The aged woman pushed her glasses closer to her face before shooting a somewhat triumphant look to the blonde girl who obviously wasn't a fan of how things were unfolding. "Would you be so kind as to look after Ms. Rachel and educate her on the proper etiquette of being the new Level Representative?"

Again, he smiled as his eyes found hers. "I'd be glad to. I guess this means we'll be seeing around each other more often, Rach." Once again, he'd managed to catch her off guard. By now she was beginning to wonder if he'd been doing it on purpose as she watched his retreating back with a shocked expression. The boy had even called her by how he fondly did back in the KND—the very reason why she'd taken a liking being referred as such since he'd been the first one to do it. And his downright laxed attitude towards her somehow infuriated her.

He was doing it again. Chad was well aware she'd already deduced he's up to something yet he was going _easy _on her.

A rapping on the door was heard where a faculty member calling for Mrs. Doerr was standing. The latter excused herself for a few minutes, promising to return right away after whatever agenda she'd had was taken cared of.

Noisy chatter then filled the room, something which she definitely did not want to be a part of as she summarized in her head, the data she'd gathered regarding her current mission's progress and how she could possibly murder her former Supreme Leader.

"Hey, are you going later to The Council Office? This could be our chance to finally get close with Chael!"

"Of course I will! I know being Queen's gonna be a breeze if Chael is going to be my King. Also, I won't let that newbie showoff steal the opportunity from me. Who does she think she is anyway? She isn't that special at all! If you ask me, her circus tricks were really freaky. It's like watching a Rainbow Monkey doll suddenly gone ugly and rabid."

Whether they'd meant to talk so loudly for her to hear, Rachel couldn't care less and hadn't even bothered to locate the girls gossiping about her. She'd expected it anyway. You can't please everybody and that was alright with her. But her temper wasn't exactly ice cool after her encounter with Chad and the corner of her mouth slightly twitched from annoyance.

_'Ugly and rabid Rainbow Monkey, huh?'_

"That guy is surely something. Coming in here just a month ago and almost already having the school at his fingertips. Blondie's someone to look out for." To her surprise, Joe was standing beside her seat and Rachel inwardly scolded herself for having to be carried away by ill feelings and being inattentive.

"He seems like a pretty capable leader. I don't see anything to be careful of." She'd been informed how long he'd been in McClintock before being detected by the TND. Though any hints of her knowledge of his potential danger must be kept secret to keep up with her undercover identity.

"That smile holds more chaos than peace if you ask me. Especially with the way things have worked in The Council for quite some time now. Godfrey was even _Viscount _for the love of Yipper cards."

Now she was listening. Trained hazel eyes flung to the corners as she watched Joe who bore a deeply contemplative expression. "I've been wondering myself why a villain held such a degree of power."

"I won't directly say it for the sake of my own safety, but I'll give you a gist; allegiance from the people is built on force nowadays and no one could really compare to The King's power thus far in eleventy billion years. It's either you sided with The King or you yourself will be in big trouble."

"So...that's how it is."

Everything now began to fall into place in her head. The sudden joy of people with The Jawbreaker being beaten wasn't simply built on the reality that one could win against a villain. A villain _within_ the student body's framework was ousted by someone who held no position whatsoever. And that person, is someone whom they see could possibly become Queen and overturn the tyrannical rule. With another powerful figure after the position of King, some people treated her presence as some sort of miracle.

"By the way, you were actually the 2nd one this school year to take over a position with a battle as the terms of succession. The 1st one who'd done it, was none other than Chael Dickson, who single handedly defeated the former Duke." Rachel said nothing more with his final message and he'd walked off back to his seat.

Somehow, the responsibilities she'd been expected to conform with felt heavier on her shoulders. She understood the workings in the mission would be more complex than the one she'd been oriented with. But having a first person encounter with the actual situation inside her target's environment greatly unsettled her. Chad was moving fast, and he was moving with utmost precision. And by his progress so far, he was more than willing to use force to attain what he needed. From that, it was easy to infer that he was most probably after her downfall more than anything else regarding matters that involved her.

But Numbuh 362 was determined not to let him have his way. Tonight, she'd resume her identity as KND's spy who worked undetected in the shadows and pull the rug from under his feet.

* * *

_Was supposed to squeeze in the following scene in this chapter but I figured it'd be too hefty to read then. Better save it up for the next._

_And hey who remembers Joe from that apple crumble episode?_


End file.
